How to be a Parent
by Elyvern
Summary: Life is more than saving the world or being a formidable warrior. It's a concept that Lucina has problems wrapping her head around. So what happens when she finds that she didn't just acquired a husband but also a child from the future? A story in a series of vignettes that explore Lucina's roles as wife and mother with Robin and Morgan.
1. Are You My Mother?

**A/N: Hello, Fire Emblem fandom. This is the fluffiest thing I have ever written, but it's meant to scratch an itch I can't get rid of.**

**When I first played Awakening, Lucina didn't figure high up on my list of favourite characters. I was pretty pissed during her canon confrontation with Robin and kept yelling "Stupid woman, stop and think things through before rushing headlong!" Along the way, reading so many stories on Lucina has converted me.**

**My interest in Lucina lies in the fact that she's had to grow up incredibly fast to shoulder the burdens placed on her. But through her social interactions and her support conversation with her sibling, you get the feeling she traded a good part of her childhood for it. It shows. She's a strange mix of child and adult, bumbling her way through social situations and feeling out of her depth. Which is why I find the lack of stories that explore her development as a wife and mother glaring.**

**Watching the generic interactions between Morgan and her other parent also always made me feel unsatisfied, especially if Robin marries a 2nd gen, and the other parent is obviously a child character. So this is my attempt at addressing that lack. It's not meant to be a long piece, mostly vignettes that take place after Demon's Ingle running to the end of the game.**

**I know that I still have to complete my Mass Effect story. To all readers of Degrees of Inheritance, my apologies! I haven't abandoned it, it's just life threw me a wrench, and it took me a long while to get back to writing again. Penning this story has help me get back into the rut and I am working on putting out the next chapter of Degrees.**

**In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy this little side trip!**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Are You My Mother?**

"Are you sure she is _my_ daughter?"

She blurted the question without thinking.

Robin looked at her quizzically before shrugging his shoulders.

"Can't say for sure. She does have the Brand and her hair colour is the exact shade of yours." He gave her a evil grin, "Although that wouldn't discount Cynthia being her mother..."

Lucina's face scrunched into a grimace as she dropped down onto the log at the edge of the forest clearing.

Eyebrow raised, Robin sat down beside her. Knowing her dislike of public displays of affection, he settled for giving her a quick squeeze of the hand.

"Hey, I was kidding! You'll love her! She's beautiful, full of life, and an absolute terror with the blade. A quick cast with spells, too." He puffed up visibly with pride. "You should've seen the way she sliced through Risen. I know they're soulless, but I swear they were stumbling over each other trying to get away from her."

Lucina only paid faint attention to Robin's gushing. All around them, the Shepherds were setting up camp after their brief detour to the strange ruins rumoured to be harbouring bandits. The bandits turned out to be a false alarm, but the appearance of a daughter was the last thing Lucina could imagine emerging from the mission.

Mentally, she chastened herself. Here was proof once again that she had altered this timeline beyond recognition. She still clung valiantly to her goal of returning to her blighted future once they defeated Grima. No matter that it was a farce, a desperate plan that had rapidly shredded the moment she chose to seal a bond of marriage with her father's tactician.

_Were you so foolish to think your marriage with him would not set off its own cascade of consequences?_

"What have I done?" she groaned faintly, covering her face with her hands.

Robin frowned in concern.

"Are you worried that you've changed the future again?"

At her nod, he sighed.

"Remember what I said about lesser of evils? You can't reasonably change a big thing and expect everything else to stay the same. The alternative if you didn't come back in time is everything going to hell. And nuh uh-" he raised a decisive finger to the protest she was about to make. "Don't ever say the idea of _us_ is a mistake. Wait till you see Morgan. She's more than proof it isn't."

Trust Robin to come up with new ways to distract her from her innermost fears. Lucina exhaled cautiously.

"Her name is Morgan?"

"She's about fourteen. Although, umm... she seems to have be afflicted with a bad case of amnesia. Heh, like father, like daughter? She does remember who I am, just not who her mother is," he looked at her apologetically before giving way to a grin, "It's definitely you though. Her sword moves are remarkably like yours and her gestures and actions remind me of you."

Fourteen? That would make Morgan just four years younger than herself. And why did she feel strangely relieved that Morgan remembered nothing about her?

Lucina had always taken great happiness at seeing her time-travelling friends reunited with their parents, the flummoxed receptions bringing a smile out of her when so little could. From the look of things, Robin had gotten over the flabbergasted stage pretty quickly. If she had to judge, he seemed ready to parade their newfound offspring to everyone in the camp.

"So are we good?" Robin's cheerful voice broke into her reverie. "Ready to meet her?"

Lucina's head darted up with alacrity.

"What? _Now?_"

"I promised Morgan I'd introduce you to her. Looks like dinner's ready; we can swap stories over food."

Few things had the power of causing her mind to go blank with fear, and it seemed a new one had been added to the list.

"I-I don't know what to say! What should I do?"

Robin drummed his fingers against a knee as he gave it some thought.

"Hmm... Do what you did when you told Chrom you're his daughter? It'll be easier for you; I've already done some icebreaking."

That didn't reassure her one bit. Instead, her brain ran mental laps wondering what Robin had told the girl. That she was always the last person in camp to get a joke? That her idea of fashionable was to lump three or four primary colours with seven pattern prints on one outfit? Her thoughts continued in a rigmarole until she finally latched on something useful.

"Wait. I-I just remembered I'm rostered for first shift patrol! I'm sorry, Robin. it will have to wait." Whew, she was definitely not unhappy with the conflict in schedule! Her attempt to walk away was thwarted when he reached out to grab her wrist.

"I knew you'd say that." There was a definite glint in her husband's brown eyes. "So I've taken the liberty of asking Frederick to do a swap. No duties for you to escape to tonight."

Before she could muster another protest, he went on more seriously, "Look, I know it's a shock, but if we put it off, Morgan might think we don't want to acknowledge her as our daughter. Besides, there's no way you can convince me that talking to a teenage girl is harder than fighting a war."

Frowning at him as he tugged her to her feet seemed to give Lucina the impetus, if not the courage she needed. Robin was right. She couldn't imagine how devastated she would've been if Father had rejected her after her confession. It was an experience she would never want inflicted on anyone else. With a shake of her head, she allowed herself to be led towards the mess hall.

It wasn't difficult to pick Morgan out from the crowd. For one, she was wearing an exact replica of Robin's tactician robes. Lucina's heart gave a painful tug when she saw how much of the man she loved was mirrored in the girl. She was indeed beautiful-from that tousled mop of hair so much like Robin's, to the way she wolfed down her stew with healthy abandon, oblivious to Inigo's attempts to chat her up. It was evident she relished a good meal as much as her father. Unconsciously, Lucina gripped Robin's hand tighter and received a squeeze in return.

Robin chuckled as Inigo gave a defeated shrug and left the row of benches.

"Hey, kiddo!" He called out.

The girl raised her head, her face lighting up immediately. It was like watching a sunrise crest the horizon and illuminate the land with light.

"Dad! What took you so long? I've saved you some of those breadrolls I know you like! Sorry, I was so hungry I started without-"

Morgan's enthusiasm and voice subsided abruptly as they came nearer, her eyes visibly darting between their faces and their clasped hands.

"It's all good," he said reassuringly. "I'd like you to meet your mother, Lucina. Lucina, this is Morgan."

Wide-eyed, Morgan scrambled to her feet, wiping her hands hastily against her pants. It was just as Robin had described, the girl had her eyes and hair colour. The Brand of the Exalt was clearly visible on the back of her left hand when it emerged from the oversize sleeve.

_Oh gods, I-I have a daughter!? How is this even possible?_

The enormity of it finally hit Lucina with a surge of panic that quite literally froze her on the spot. What was a brief moment of silence soon stretched to an awkward minute and then Morgan began to shuffle her foot. Finally and hesitantly, the young girl made an awkward curtsy, lifting the hem of her heavy robes in a spread.

"Milady," she mumbled half-audibly with eyes cast down.

Unfortunately, Lucina's default manner for dealing with things that fazed her was to revert to cold formality.

"Please do not call me that."

The moment the words left her mouth, Lucina knew it was a mistake. The effect was immediate. The young girl before her flinched visibly as if she'd been slapped. An involuntary wince flitted across Robin's face. Ever the people person, he quickly jumped to the rescue.

"Let me guess, you've met Chrom! Intense guy with passing looks who bears an unfortunate resemblance to you? Things have a mysterious tendency to break around him?"

Morgan looked at him in confusion.

"He told me he leads the Shepherds and welcomed me to the camp. He said Princess Lucina is his daughter, which makes me family. Should I not have believed him?"

"Sounds about right, but check that royalty thing at the doorstep. No tea and buttered scone parties here, unless Virion organises them."

_Stupid, stupid, why did I do that? _Lucina cursed herself mentally. As heir to the throne of Ylisse, she'd been taught a leader should never show weakness. That training had served her well in her timeline, but what she just did was as good as rejecting Morgan!

"I-I'm sorry. Let's do this again," Lucina said hurriedly. "Chrom _is_ my father, but I came to this timeline to aid with the war. Who I used to be has no relevance here. And I'd rather we not be so formal," she tried to muster a warm smile which probably turned out ghastly. "Umm...why don't you call me something else?"

More foot shuffling took place. When Morgan looked up, it was not to her, but to Robin who made encouraging faces. Cocking her head to one side, the girl finally glanced at Lucina sideways.

"Like...?"

It was just too embarrassing to suggest that Morgan called her 'mother'. Not to mention the label still felt too alien for her to embrace. But something deep inside, Lucina knew it would give her indescribably joy to be addressed as such.

"Uh, anything you like?" She threw out instead, heat rising to her face.

To her dismay, her response seemed to cause the girl to become even more withdrawn. Again, Morgan looked to her father in desperation. Except the target of her attention was doubled over, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Oh gods, look at the two of you! This is too funny for words!"

Finally, Robin subsided, wiping tears from his eyes as his wife glared at him.

"All right. If I make the call, nobody gets to complain, okay?"

He looked at both of them, his eyes lingering on Lucina, giving rise to the familiar feeling that she was being assessed. He'd always had the ability to read what laid closest to her heart. When no objections were forthcoming, Robin moved between them and threw his arms around their shoulders in a tight hug.

"'Mother' will do, Morgan. Bonus for adding terms of endearment like 'dearest' once you feel comfortable enough. Now, can we grab some of that delicious stew before Vaike finishes it all?"

* * *

"So what else did you and Chrom talk about earlier?"

Robin asked casually, his empty tray sitting on the table in front of him. Full darkness had descended on the camp. Candles lit the mess hall and on the far side, the Shepherds on galley duty were cleaning the place up. Chrom and Sumia had waved at them cheerfully as the Shepherds trooped in for dinner earlier. Sumia had made the attempt to join them, only to be stopped by her husband whispering a few words in her ear.

"Nothing much," Morgan mumbled around a mouthful of dessert-a second helping of apple pie. The girl could sure eat, Robin gave her that. "He gave me a quick tour around the camp and said he'd catch up with me once I've spend some time with you and-Mother," Morgan's eyes darted to give Lucina an anxious look.

She looked visibly relieved when Lucina gave her a smile and said ruefully from across the table, "It sounds like he is taking it better than I am."

"I dunno... Prince Chrom seemed anxious that I don't call him 'grandfather'. Something about too many generations to handle?"

Robin burst out into laughter.

"Oh ho, he's embarrassed, is he?! All the more reason you should do it. You have my full permission."

Morgan's laughter was like the pealing of bells.

"You're so evil, Dad."

"Not after he gave me hell for my strategy at Fort Steiger." He reached out to tousle Morgan's already messy hair. "No loving daughter of mine is going to let him get away with that, right?"

She gave him a sidelong look.

"I'll...think about it. I don't want to be tossed out of camp for helping you get back on your liege."

"That'll never happen with your grandmother and mother around." Robin predicted confidently as he stretched to ease out the kinks in his muscles. From the corner of his eyes, he watched contently as Lucina tried to hide her smile.

Things had been awkward at the start, but Lucina was slowly thawing to Morgan's presence. Levity never came easy for Lucina and he had to constantly remind himself to hold back on his more irreverent antics. He had instantly hit off with their daughter but it would take a while before she and Morgan became as comfortable with each other. Still, It was relieving to know that it wasn't an insurmountable task.

"Father was right though, Robin," Lucina pointed out. "You shouldn't have put yourself at such great risk on the battlements that day."

Morgan looked between them with curiosity.

"What did Dad do?"

"He had Lady Cherche drop him in the thick of enemies to lower the drawbridge for our forces," Lucina replied darkly.

"Pay it no heed," Robin said with a grin. "That's how my strategies win us our battles-by being unpredictable to our enemies."

Morgan frowned.

"I don't remember you being so reckless, Dad. You'd called me harebrained if I suggested something like that." She dropped her fork in a clatter. "Oh, I remember! I remember I want to be a tactician like you!"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah! I've read _Tactics for Beginners _from cover to cover. I can even quote you one of your favourite lines-'_Planning against superior forces is all about maintaining that element of surprise to keep your enemy second-guessing your intentions. No strategy survives contact with the enemy.'"_

Robin didn't think the day could get any better. He was proven wrong. Clearing his throat, he tried to temper down his burst of pride.

"Not bad at all. And that rests my case with harebrained schemes. So you want to be a tactician, huh? There's no better way to learn tactics than on the battlefield."

Morgan's reaction was more than anything he could hope for. Adoration burned bright in her eyes until he felt like he was the centre of her universe.

"Really? Oh, thank you, Dad!"

"Robin, I don't think that is such a good idea..." Lucina interjected with concern.

"I'm not going to let her devise strategies in the middle of battle if that's what you're thinking. But she can observe me and help with team compositions and some of the simpler tactics."

"I promise I'll listen to orders! Please, Mother, please?"

If eyes could melt steel, he'd bet Morgan was doing her best to master the ability. The girl knew very well who she had to win over in this argument. Lucina shifted uncomfortably under what he silently dubbed 'The Look of Hope' their daughter was projecting with all her might.

"She'll have both of us to look after her," Robin supplied helpfully. "Why don't you test out her combat skills for a start and see how well she handles herself? You can also work out how to support each other in a fight."

Lucina's face lit up at the concession.

"I...guess that's acceptable."

With a squeal, Morgan turned and gripped Robin in a tight hug.

"Whoa, whoa!" Robin gasped. "Easy there!"

A polite cough nearby made everyone look up. Frederick gave a bow, still dressed in his full armour. It was a wonder they didn't notice him approach.

"Milady, Robin, I've had an additional tent put up next to yours. If the young lady has time, Cordelia is waiting by the wagons to issue her some supplies."

"I get my very own tent, too? That is awesome!"

"Thank you, Sir Frederick," Lucina got up quickly, her face flushing. "I'm sorry, we should be taking care of such things ourselves. Let's go, Morgan, we shouldn't keep Lady Cordelia waiting."

Robin perched his arm on one raised knee as he watch Morgan accompany her mother out of the mess hall.

"Is this what being a father is like?" He wondered out loud. "I could definitely get used to it."

"She seems to be the youngest of the children." Frederick observed, crossing his arms. "That might make things easier for you."

Robin raised his eyebrows.

"Having problems with your own kid, Freddie?"

"I told you not to call me that," Frederick muttered.

Robin moved his hands to his chest in a hurt motion.

"Hey, I thought we were friends. Friends call each other silly names all the time," he gestured for the knight to sit down. "Friends are also happy to lend a listening ear when you need one. So... what gives?"

Frederick looked as if he was about to demur before changing his mind to perch on the very edge of the bench, arms still crossed tightly.

"I just thought I might share my observations." He glanced at Robin with narrowed eyes. "In case you're wondering, I still find your affliction of amnesia to be terribly convenient. Your daughter's too, although I believe neither is your fault. No father would wish such a thing on his child."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Robin replied wryly.

"It may be a blessing in disguise for the Princess and you," Frederick continued as though he hadn't heard Robin. "Severa is quite set in her ways. She has expectations of Cordelia and myself from her future that she refuses to share. It's hard to predict what ticks her off. For you, there are no disappointments to live down. Your daughter is young enough that you can still play a parent to her instead of settling for being her friend."

"You make it sound like being a friend to your kid is a bad thing," Robin said after a while.

"It isn't when you don't have to wonder if you've made a mistake in the future as her father."

_Ouch. _

Severa's irritable and pessimistic personality was well-known. But she wasn't one of the forerunners in the race for the most dysfunctional. Gerome was just as bad if not worse while Noire hovered on the brink of a split personality. Meanwhile, Owain, Cynthia and Inigo veered off to the other extreme end of the spectrum. None of the time-travelling children could be considered normal. Not even Lucina, _especially_ not Lucina if Robin had to admit with himself.

"It's not all your fault, Frederick," Robin said with a sigh. "The blame falls equally on everyone of us. We messed up and left our kids to pick up the pieces. It's a miracle they turn out the way they did. Now we have to make sure that their version of reality doesn't happen. Again."

Frederick looked at him intently. Giving a slow nod as if he was satisfied, the knight stood up and left the mess hall.

"Thanks for the advice," Robin called after him, the sole occupant of the mess hall with the leavetaking.

Three months of marital bliss was certainly not time enough for him and Lucina get used to each other as husband and wife. Gods knew, it had been a long and rocky path. Right from the start, she had resisted the idea of them. It had taken more than a few harrowing encounters on the battlefield for her to let down her guard and accept his advances.

Soon after, Robin had looked on wistfully as friend after friend became united with their children, knowing that such was not in the cards for him. Now he no longer need to imagine how a child of his and Lucina's would look like. Morgan surpassed everything his mind could conjure up. She was the sum and more of their best parts, a fierce and brilliant package of intelligence and life any father would be immensely proud of.

Morgan probably came from another timeline than the other children. It was the only explanation. Now that Frederick said it out, it was impossible not to wonder what that future was like. What was the reason for her amnesia? Was it because the world she came from was so unbearable her mind chose to forget about it?

Was it a reality as bad as Lucina's? It'd been a sobering experience listening about the future Lucina came from. There was no doubt that he had to do everything to prevent it from coming true. But he never told her what fuelled his resolve was the many nights waking up firsthand to her thrashing and holding her until the nightmare faded away from her eyes.

* * *

"Did Morgan get all the supplies she needed?"

Robin asked up with a smile as Lucina stepped into their tent. He was at his usual space, a makeshift desk with a book opened in front of him.

"All settled. Although she will need spare clothing. Would we have time for shopping at the next village?"

"I don't see why not. We'll likely have to restock our supplies. And that'll take a few days at least."

She nodded and sat down in the edge of the cot, her hands moving to unbuckle her armour.

"So... what do you think of Morgan?" Robin asked after a while.

A laugh escaped Lucina as she set aside her shoulder pads. "She certainly doesn't lack for energy."

"Yeah, I swear she'll wear us down before we reach home."

"Heh, she takes after you strongly. She's smart and friendly, always ready with a joke. It has only been a day, but I can see how everyone is already warming up to her."

"She has a contagious laugh, I admit," Robin mused, the book in front of him forgotten. "The army could use more people like her to keep our spirits up."

Lucina had no response to that. There was a brief silence before she dropped all attempts at cheerfulness and said quietly, "I'm messing up, Robin. I don't know the first thing about being a mother."

"Well... I'm sure that's something most of the Shepherds had to deal with when they were presented with their future children. Your parents included." He smiled at the thought. "But they all seemed to have taken it quite well. It can only get better once you know each other."

Lucina remained silent, her eyes downcast.

It was clear Lucina's misgivings ran far deeper than the other mothers in the camp. So maybe he'd let elation override his better sense, Robin thought guiltily. Closing the book, he rose from his chair. She remained oblivious to his presence until he sat down and laid an arm around her.

"Something tells me this is more than just finding out you're suddenly a parent. Talk to me?"

After a moment, her arms went around to hug herself. "It still feels like a dream that I could have a family that's alive, a husband and now a daughter. Knowing that all _this_ could be taken away if we fail, it's hard to bear. It makes me want to do my best, to hold on to everything harder."

She looked at him in worry. "Except I don't know how. What business does a woman who'd live her entire life fighting wars have being a mother?"

The conversation with Frederick still fresh in his mind, Robin decided to take the plunge.

"She has every right. Because she'd have won the future that makes it possible." He said firmly before taking a deep breath. "I'm not sure I'm father material either. Three years' worth of memories doesn't give much to work with. But meeting Morgan gives me hope. Amnesia aside, she seems happy and well-adjusted. She's proof that somewhere, somehow, we did it right."

Hope glimmered in her eyes as she absorbed all this.

"Do you really think so?"

"Frederick also thinks it might be a good thing Morgan doesn't remember you. You get to start your relationship with her on a blank slate."

He eyed her expectantly as a myriad of emotions played across her face.

I didn't think of it that way," she breathed in wonder before she shook her head ruefully. "Gods, listen to me! Making it as if I am the only one with problems. I'm sorry, Robin, you are right as always. This means I have less expectations to worry about."

"There's just one catch..."

Lucina look at him questioningly.

"Remember you once told me that when this world is saved, you'd try to go back to your timeline?" He said as he gently tucked errant strands of blue hair behind her ear. "That you couldn't stay because you didn't want to cause problems for Chrom? Do you still feel that way?"

She was silent for a long time before she said quietly, "I haven't thought about that for a while."

"Poor Morgan will be devastated to know she'll never get to see her younger self." He waggled a cheeky eyebrow. "Or will you leave us a parting gift before you disappear from our lives? The best way to learn how to be a parent or a spouse is to keep working at it, y'know."

It'd seem a lifetime ago when Lucina had told him of her plan. She'd simply been the time lost daughter of a dear friend he'd kept watched over. Grimfaced and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, she'd slowly and painstakingly built ties to this timeline, gathering around herself an ever growing group of friends and family. He'd taken great pleasure watching the transformation she underwent; the rare smile that became more commonplace, the carefree laughter he never imagined she possessed.

Robin had always prided himself in his ability to read people. The woman who had declared her readiness to divorce herself from this timeline would never be fully gone, but just maybe he could convince Lucina to give another option a chance. Not tonight though; he'd fight that battle when it came.

"Well, I have another proposal for you," he continued lightly. "I've brought us here in one piece one way or another. Trust that I'll find a way to solve that problem for you. In fact, I've got one solution right off the top of my head."

Lucina laughed weakly as she rested her head against his shoulder. She may not know what he had in mind, but she was familiar with his idiosyncrasy of mixing irreverence with gravity by now.

"I am almost afraid to ask. So what is it, Sir Robin?"

"I'll make myself indispensible to the royal family and we'll make enough tactician babies that they'll dispel any rumours of your presence in Chrom's life." Robin gave her a wicked grin. "Starting right now."

He reached over to tickle her as she broke into giggles. When she tried to wriggle away, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down on the cot with him.

* * *

"Hrrgngh!"

The dull clack of wood knocking against each other resounded in the pre-dawn silence, punctuated by grunts of exertion.

Morgan lifted her wooden practice sword in a training salute and commenced her attack again. Swiftly, Lucina lifted her own blade to block, sidestepping to create room to whirl around. Carrying forward the momentum, she executed a backswing at the young girl's unprotected back. As she had anticipated, Morgan parried but the defensive move came only just in time.

They had been sparring for about an hour now, and unconsciously, Lucina found herself beginning to frown. Morgan's forms were immaculate, and as Robin had described, remarkably similar to her own fighting style. There was sufficient variation that she could recognise some of Robin's signature moves. Not that there was anything wrong with that; in the course of the last year, she had adopted some of his techniques for herself.

_Clack._

Their blades met again. This time, Lucina shoved back and crouched, swinging her leg in a wide arc meant to trip Morgan. She also made sure to leave herself exposed after the attempt. The girl lithely jumped out of the way, but instead of counterattacking, she broke off, holding her blade across her torso in anticipation of a strike that wasn't forthcoming.

Lucina had learned the art of fighting from Chrom's lap, swinging wooden slates far too heavy for her child self. After his death, she had faithfully preserved his moves in remembrance and homage to him. The Prince favoured a brute force approach, relying on upper body strength and forward momentum to inflict devastating injuries. What Lucina had gradually accepted was she lacked the same body mass and strength to be truly effective with some of his moves. It was a flaw made painfully apparent when he had annihilated her during the arena match in Regna Ferox.

Robin's swordsmanship was more fluid, relying on speed and reflexes to gain an upper hand. She had found she could utilised it better to her advantage. Somehow, it felt less like a betrayal to the memory of her father because he was still alive in this timeline. The adjustment also allowed her to line up her strikes with Robin's in perfect synchrony, making them one of the most deadliest duos among the Shepherds.

No, Morgan's problem did not lie with her technique. As an adolescent, speed served her better than strength. Except she was not taking full advantage of natural opportunities and left herself vulnerable with needless openings.

Lucina stepped back from the brief bout and began circling Morgan once more. Between the break in the sparse line of trees that crested the escarpment to the east, the sun was breaking the horizon. It was time to bring this session to an end.

"Last round," she said to teenager.

A second later, they met in combat again. This time Lucina struck, hard and fast as lightning. Tearing through Morgan's defences, she hit the girl in succession with the flat of her blade, landing blows on the back of the calf, the small of the back and the left shoulder. As coup de grace, she blocked an incoming wide swing, angling her blade to slide down, locking both pommels together before executing a hard torque, wrenching Morgan's blade of out her hands.

"Wow..." The young girl breathed as she stumbled back, her breath coming in gasps. Her hand moved to rub her back as she winced. "And ow..."

Lucina closed the distance between them anxiously, her hand going to grasp the budding tactician's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Morgan, did I hurt you?"

"I'm okay!" Morgan laughed and knelt down to pick up her sword. "But wow, how do you move so fast?"

Lucina was silent for a while before deciding honesty was the best course.

"I wouldn't have been able to if you did not leave yourself exposed so frequently," she pointed out as she grounded the sharp end of her blade in the grass. It was puzzling. Robin had mentioned that the girl accounted well for herself against Risen. As soon as she recalled that, a suspicion came to mind.

"Morgan, have you had to fight a human being before?" The question was distasteful, but it was important to find out. They were, after all, waging a war against human conquerors.

The young girl frowned as she acquired that familiar look that said she was wracking her mind to remember a lost memory.

"I don't think so. Or at least I can't remember."

"It seems to me your fighting style is tailored to deal with Risen. They are slower than living opponents and less likely to exploit opportunistic openings, wearing you down instead with unrelenting numbers."

Worry filled Morgan's blue eyes.

"Does that mean I can't join you and Dad on the battlefield? I promise I'll improve! I can close those gaps and tighten my defences! You'll show me how to, right?"

An involuntary smile flitted across Lucina's face. Interacting with Robin often required her to make logic leaps to catch up to his speed of thought. He arrived at the right conclusions far faster than anyone she knew, sometimes requiring him to slow down and explain the steps he took to reach them. It was evident Morgan had inherited her father's lightning-quick mind.

"Of course I will." Lucina declared readily as they walked side by side towards the fallen log where their water skins and towels awaited.

The idea of the young girl taking human life filled Lucina with aversion. She could remember her first kill; bile rising to her throat as she felt Falchion grate against cartilage and bone, the numbed horror of witnessing life departing from sightless eyes threatening to overwhelm her. The Valmese campaign was stepping up in heat and when it came to Morgan's turn to test her mettle on the field, Lucina swore she would be by the girl's side.

Morgan's spellbook and robes resting nearby caught her attention and she was compelled to point out regretfully, "I have no talent with magic though. You will need your father for that."

Her eyes travelled further and took in a nondescript sword encased in a worn leather scabbard. Easing the blade out made it clear that it was a standard-issue blade of average length and make.

"Is this your sword, Morgan?"

Again, that familiar frown.

"No... I think I lost my original. That's the one I picked up yesterday."

Lucina's brow knitted in thought. Since Morgan's swordsmanship was so similar to hers, the budding tactician would probably favour a long, double-handed blade like Falchion. It would take a few more years for Morgan to attain her adult height. In the meantime, she needed a slim and lightweight weapon to maximise her reach. The makeshift smithy had been packed and was awaiting the day's march. Luckily, they weren't likely to see combat today and the girl had her spellbook for backup.

"Let's get you a better blade this evening." Lucina promised as she took a long drink from her water skin.

All around them, the camp was stirring with morning activity and the grassy clearing they had been sparring in was rapidly filling up with Shepherds running through combat regimes. Capping her own water skin, Morgan gathered up her belongings and ducked her head in a quick bow.

"I'd like that! Thank you for training with me, Mother. I'm going to pack up my tent. See you at breakfast!"

Without waiting for a response, the teenager darted off towards the camp.

Letting go of a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, Lucina stared at the girl's retreating form. Things were much improved between them since their initial meeting yesterday but it was clear Morgan remained more subdued around her. She wondered if she would have to accept that her relationship with Morgan would never be as warm and spontaneous as Robin's. Apart from their physical similarities, the girl seemed to take after Robin in every other way.

It echoed eerily Lucina's relationship with her own mother, a wave of guilt washing over her as she thought about it. Ever since she'd joined the Shepherds, she had tried to spend as much time as possible getting to know her father. Time spent with Sumia often took place when she accompanied Chrom about his duties. Cynthia was much closer to Sumia, but that didn't discount Lucina's complacency in her familial duties.

_At least Morgan has the excuse of not remembering who I am. I have none. I am as terrible a daughter as I am a parent. _

Breakfast wouldn't be for an hour yet. At this time of the day, the Pegasus Knights would be by the river, grooming their mounts. With firm resolve, she strode off in the direction of the tent she and Robin shared to drop off her equipment before making for the river.

Sumia was in the final touches of currying her Pegasus when Lucina approached. Dropping the brush in her hand, a big smile across her face, the Pegasus Knight ran forward and flung arms around Lucina.

"Congratulations, dear! I know it's a little backwards, or forwards if you like, but I'm so happy you and Robin have Morgan!"

Taken aback by the reception, Lucina quickly returned the hug, trying not to squirm at the overt display of affection.

"Er...thank you, Mother."

"Winnie here needs her morning drink," Oblivious to her daughter's discomfort, Sumia stroke the neck of her Pegasus as she prattled on, "She was so tired after yesterday's mission, the poor darling. Let's talk by the riverside while she quenches her thirst."

If Lucina had been worried about potential awkwardness talking to her mother, Sumia took that problem right out of her hands. Hustled towards the water edge, she managed to give a light wave to Cynthia and Lady Cordelia before being pulled away by the deceptively strong grip on her wrist.

"Tell me, dear," Sumia's voice lowered to a concerned whisper the moment they sat down a ways from the other knights. "Did you anticipate Morgan's appearance?"

That was a very strange question even for her mother, Lucina thought. Had Sumia seen something in a petal fortune? She knew Sumia laid great store by her flower prophecies although she never had the heart to tell her that such vague portends could refer to almost anything.

"Why do you ask that, Mother?"

Sumia drew her legs close and hugged her knees as she got comfortable for a long talk.

"It's a peculiar thing to be looking forward to in the middle of a war, but it is such a happy event when another child from the future joins us! The rest of the girls, well, the married ones, anyway, have been wondering whose daughter or son we would meet. We haven't asked you along because we know you and your friends are reluctant to talk about the future, which is perfectly understandable!" Sumia looked abashed as she concluded, "And we didn't think we'd be visited by our grandchildren."

Lucina couldn't help her smile. Oh, how she missed her mother's oddly endearing but totally accurate description of things! It brought to mind the happier times they shared before the world went awry, before she was forced to put away a carefree childhood in exchange of stern leadership for an impossible task.

"It was a shock to me, too," Lucina confessed more lightly than she had in ages. "Cynthia, myself and the rest were the last generation in my time. We were too busy surviving to think about our own futures. Before coming here, I would never imagine such possibilities...possible."

Inevitably, her heart warmed at the thought of Robin, but the longstanding fear of changing the future beyond recognition brought a frown to her face. "I have only begun to explore them. It's hard not to and I can only hope I have not crossed a line somewhere."

Sumia's eyes grew wide at her words.

"Oh, Lucina, you should've been more careful!"

Lucina stared blankly at her mother who'd gotten up with more agility than was usual for her and was tugging her to her feet.

"Mother? Where are we going?"

"To find Lissa so she can check on you! It's best to keep this within the family for now."

"Why would I need Aunt Lissa's tending? I am perfectly healthy."

"Yes, but the battlefield is no place for a woman with child! It'll be months before this war is over. We need to know how far along you are and find some place safe for your confinement."

_Wait, what?_

A moment later, Lucina's mind caught up and she choked. Oh gods, this was embarrassing! She didn't know if she should stick her head into the ground or give in to laughter. Try as she might, it was impossible not to laugh at the absurd situation.

"This is serious, my dear," Sumia chided, hands resting on her hips.

Lucina apologised when she caught her breath again. "I'm sorry, Mother. I assure you I am not with child. It is true I didn't anticipate finding Morgan, but I know better than to take on more than I can handle."

The Pegasus Knight gave her a dubious look.

"Are you sure? Have you been taking those herbs I gave you? Do you remember how you had me all worried when I found out you were hiding your relationship with Robin from all of us?"

Lucina blushed red to the tip of her ears. How was she to know there was a way to not get with child? It was customary for young women of marriageable age to be taught what they needed to know by older female friends and family members. But there was no one left to take on that role in her future. She didn't even know what was expected of her on her wedding night until she borrowed some of her mother's more lurid romance novels. And then she had walked around red-faced for a week as her imagination ran amok trying to figure out anatomical positions.

"Yes, I have," she hurriedly reassured Sumia. "I just had my monthly blood. That means I'm safe, right?"

"Not if you hear Maribelle's story," Sumia said judiciously. "She was telling us how her cousin twice-removed thought she'd gotten away until she started bloating up on the fourth month. The poor girl..."

"Mother, you are not helping! I am fine, I really am." She couldn't help her voice coming out as a squeak. "C-can we talk about something else please?"

That was the other thing. The married women in the camp liked to form these, well, calling them gossip circles was a little unkind but that was what they were, where they would discuss the most unbecoming of things in a shockingly candid fashion. At her mother's encouragement, Lucina had joined in one of these sessions and had been forced to listen to the sexual prowess of various husbands and what mattered the most for male equipment. She had excused herself before Sumia had a chance to input; the last thing she wanted to know was how her parents went at it.

"Honestly, dear, this is nothing to be embarrassed about." Sumia clicked her tongue and then relented with a huff. "All right, so will I be introduced to Morgan today? I really like what I see of the girl from a distance, but your father said we should give you and Robin first dibs."

Lucina let go of her breath cautiously.

_Gods, I would need to have the same conversation with Morgan when she is older, wouldn't I?_

The thought of it was enough to make her want to run for the hills.

Was it the mark of a grown woman to discuss such issues without impersonating a beet root? It was mortifying how self-conscious and flustered she often felt. Definitely not the model of parenthood she had in mind.

Just how did Sumia manage it? The Pegasus Knight wasn't that much older than herself. Maybe it was the fact that her mother was a _real_ parent, having left the infant Lucina back at Ylisse. That couldn't be it though. The other women in the camp also shouldered on their parenting responsibilities with such panache she couldn't help but be envious.

"How do you do it, Mother?" Lucina asked curiously. "How do you learn to be a parent to Cynthia and myself? You had very little time to adjust to our existence but you act as if you have been doing this all your life."

"I do?" A look of confusion flitted across Sumia's face before she turned sheepish. "Uh, I think you overestimate me, my dear. Give yourself some time, you're a newlywed after all. In fact, just before you came, I was thinking to myself I have nothing left to teach you. Not that I'm not glad you are all grown up with a family of your own, mind you! But sometimes, it's nice to feel needed as a parent."

Was that it? The job of a parent being to coach and impart skills to their child? Lucina wondered, her thoughts going back to her training session with Morgan. The young tactician could definitely use the combat training. And she certainly had a lot to offer in that area! It was clearly a win-win situation.

"I'll introduce Morgan to you and Father over breakfast." She said happily, her daughter's carefree smile coming to mind. Come to think of it, Morgan would probably get along superbly with the rest of her family, especially Cynthia.

Wait a minute...

The more she thought about it, the more it spelt trouble. Knowing her younger sister, gods knew what trouble she'd pull Morgan into. Lucina made a silent resolution to watch over them carefully.


	2. A Wrinkle in Time

**A/N: Thank you all for the kind words! Just a heads up, this is a fast update because I happened to have written two chapters in advance. Still, I thought I'd post it out so there's a meatier chunk for everyone to read. Do feel free to drop me a note or a review if you have suggestions or criticism to offer. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: A Wrinkle in Time**

That evening, Lucina was rostered for kitchen duties with Nah. It had been a good day, the Ylissean League having covered a decent amount of ground with scouts reporting a clear way ahead of them.

Nah was late, which was unusual for the solemn, half-blooded manakete but Lucina paid it no mind. As was her usual habit, she had kept herself busy, filling barrels of water for cooking from the water wagon and assisting with setting up of tents. Practice had sped up the task, and she was glad that by the time she had to report to the kitchen, the tent she'd shared with Robin was up and standing, all their belongings arranged inside. The tactician had been deep in discussion with her father and the other war leaders during the march, and she knew he'd make a beeline for his books and maps the moment he could.

Lucina dropped a bucketful of diced potatoes into the boiling pot. It had been surprisingly easy to slice the vegetables, she thought, inordinately proud that the potatoes were perfectly sized cubes. At least her swordsmanship was good for something other than killing.

Just as she began seasoning the vegetable stew with salt and sprigs of rosemary, Nah ran into the tent kitchen in a fluster.

"Lucina! So sorry I'm late!"

"It is not a problem, Nah."

"You'd think a grown woman would have better sense than to goad a group of hunters with bows. What if they were Walhart's spies? What if she gave our position away?" Nah went on in deep vexation as she busied herself hauling out cuts of venison from the salting barrel.

Lucina looked up in concern from stirring the pot.

"Did something happen?"

Ignoring her, the young manakete continued her litany as she slapped the meat on a cutting board and began slicing strips with a vengeance. "She's lucky she got away with a hole in her wing! If she had flown lower, she'd have been peppered with arrows!"

"Uh...hello, Nah?"

Nah finally looked up from her slicing and muttered, "I'm fine. I just had to get that off my chest. You know, I never got to know my mother in our time. It was something I dreamed about when we came here. Now that I have, I'm not sure that's such a good idea after all..."

Frowning, Lucina reached out to grasp Nah's shoulder.

"You don't mean it, Nah. Surely you cannot think that losing our parents is preferable to being in this timeline."

The young Manakete conceded with a sigh.

"All right, I take it back. But it's so frustrating! I had to support her weight all the way so we could return to camp safely and the moment Mr Libra finishes healing her, she runs off to find someone to play her silly games with!"

It'd become an old complaint since they arrived at this timeline. In dragon-years, Nah was not much more than a babe in swaddling cloth, yet she displayed a remarkable maturity beyond her age. Lucina was no stranger to Nowi's antics but she wasn't inclined to question anyone's eccentricities as long as they did their jobs. Still, she could understand why Nowi's childlike personality would irk Nah.

"Are you disappointed with your mother?" Lucina asked softly.

Nah looked up, startled. "N-no, nothing of that sort. She's much more powerful than I am. It'll be many years before I can stay transformed for as long as she does. It's just I expected someone of her age to have more sense! What if she had died today? We came back here to change the future, and she's not making our job any easier!"

Lucina couldn't help her smile. Trust the young manakete to hide her real feelings behind an officious reason. Well, far be it for her then to expose Nah's facade and cause embarrassment for her friend.

"Nobody said our task would be easy," she mused instead as she began cracking eggs to make a custard for dessert. "But I can't believe we thought we could change the fate of the world by ourselves. Seeing how my father and Robin work together has been an eye opener. It's the same with the rest of the Shepherds. They lend their strengths to make up for each other's weaknesses and they do it so unconsciously."

"Hey, I thought we did pretty well! Don't sell yourself short, Lucina." Nah said briskly, shoving the cut meat into the frying pan and scattering crushed peppers all over it. "You were great as our leader."

"You flatter me, Nah. The truth was half the time, I only had a basic idea of what must be done, a far cry from the level of planning that goes on around here. It's a miracle we managed to survive so long."

"Well, we didn't have the luxury for refinement. Gotta admit though, food's definitely better here. No more weed masquerading as veggies, desserts actually taste sweet and there's real meat, yum!" Nah brandished her skillet theatrically, flipping the slabs of venison with a masterful flair, much to Lucina's amusement. "Although I kinda miss being just the few of us. Now we have to figure out how to fit into a big group. How do you talk to someone you have nothing in common with, anyway?"

The smell of caramel filled the tent as Lucina stirred sugar and butter into the simmering custard mix, a line forming between her brow as she considered the question.

"Hmm... I have found training offers to be a good ice breaker." She offered after a while. "Our business is war, after all, and sometimes we are paired up with the most unexpected of people. It's good to learn how to fight alongside different people."

"Right. Except much of my training involves aerial tactics, dodging arrows and javelins-that kind of thing. Not many options there."

Lucina smiled sympathetically. "I suppose you could find out what else your mother likes apart from games? Or what about Lady Tiki? I'm sure she has many things to share from her past."

The young manakete shrugged as she ladled the last of the cooked meat on a serving tray.

"And we're back at square one. To be fair, my mother's not the only one, she's just the worst offender. For the life of me, I still don't get how the our parents find the time or the mood to joke and relax in the middle of a war. Not when there's so much work to do." Hoisting the heavy platter with both hands, Nah made her way towards the mess tent. "And on that note, time to serve dinner! This smells so good I bet there's a queue waiting for it!"

"Careful, Nah! I'm almost done here, let me help you with that."

"Pfft! I've carried far heavier loads, including two grown men at once!"

Lucina shook her head as the young Manakete tottered around the corner and disappeared from view. She resumed whisking the custard mix before turning away to retrieve a stack of bowls from their packing crate.

"Psst... That smells promising. Give me a taste test, Blue Junior?"

She looked back to see Gaius couched at the level of the table, eyeing the big bowl of custard. It was disconcerting how silently he appeared, but it wasn't wholly unexpected when dessert was involved.

"Uh, go ahead, Sir Gaius."

The former thief dipped a finger into the mixture and into his mouth.

"Decent, but not enough of a spicy undertone. Happen to have some sticks of cinnamon on me. How about a double serving in exchange for a sprinkle of that precious stuff?"

Lucina laughed and stood back.

"Be my guest."

With deft movements, he shaved a generous portion from his private stash with a pocket knife. Tossing the spice into the bowl, he slipped out of the kitchen with a wink.

Intrigued, Lucina tried the custard herself and found the taste much improved. While she didn't have a sweet tooth, this was certainly food fit for the royal halls of Ylisstol. Just as she was done doling out the custard into wooden bowls to set, Stahl and Donnel entered at just the right time to help carry the pot of stew into the mess hall.

The atmosphere was boisterous and just as Nah had predicted, a line had already formed and was snaking out beyond the tent entrance. The mess hall was soon filled with hungry Shepherds with requests for second helpings which made Lucina feel inordinately happy.

She almost didn't feel a quick tap on her shoulder. Spinning around, she found Gaius who grinned at her in expectation. Oh, right, he was promised a double helping of the dessert. Whistling happily, she watched as he carried his share to join Sully and Kjelle, his wife and daughter, at their table. The food was fast disappearing and at her urging, Nah had taken her own share to eat with her parents. It was with relief when she finally saw Robin, accompanied by Morgan, enter the mess hall, the last of the Shepherds.

The tactician looked tired, but he smiled warmly and stole a quick peck on her cheek as she handed over his double servings on a laden tray. Walking beside them, Morgan giggled as she became flustered at his show of affection. That was until she saw Sumia waving cheerfully at them from the back of the tent and began tugging Robin in that direction.

"Hey there. Cynthia has decided to abandon us to dine with Owain and Lissa tonight." Chrom said from beside his wife as they took their seats.

Lucina craned her neck to find her sister who waved at her, right on cue, from the far end of the mess hall. Perhaps that was for the best. As she had predicted, Cynthia and Morgan had hit off spectacularly, taking to each other like they were long lost siblings.

Chrom made a face at the giant portions on Robin's tray. "You're gonna finish all that? We'll have to roll you onto the ship with the barrels once this campaign is over."

"Yeah well, strategising is hard work, especially when you leave it all to me," Robin muttered as he started digging in. "Gods, I'm famished!"

"How is the work getting along?" Lucina asked as she began on her own meal.

"Busy. Winning our last two battles at the Fort Steiger and the Ingle has convinced some of the resistance forces to defect. For real this time. We'll be joined by fifty-thousand more troops before the week is out."

"That is good news, isn't it?"

"Assuming we can trust them this time, yeah. But that throws my plans for the castle assault out of the window so I have to redraft my strategy again."

Morgan who had been shovelling food into her face looked up with interest.

"What kind of troops are we getting, Dad?"

"Mostly foot knights and infantry units," Robin's movements slowed down as he laid out the details for the rest of his listeners as much as the young tactician. "I was originally thinking to use them for backup. Didn't want a repeat of Fort Steiger. But we'll be going up against Walhart's finest so we'll have to give everything we've got."

"What's their discipline and morale like?"

"They're men from Chon'sin interestingly enough. Yen'fay's defeat probably did a number to their heads. Say'ri will be busy whipping them back into shape for the assault." The tactician frowned as though something just occurred to him. "Chrom, one of us should accompany Say'ri when she does her inspection. So her men knows we're totally behind her."

Elbows on the table, the Prince tented his fingers thoughtfully. "I could do that. It'll have to be handled delicately if we don't wish to undermine her authority."

"Here's to hoping you don't accidentally break Chon'sin's national treasures," Robin lifted a spoonful of stew in salute before shoving it into his own mouth.

"You should split the Chon'sin forces up and have them support other units in the army. That way they'll be less likely to have ideas of their own," Morgan piped up. "We have an abundance of archers and they could always use a bigger shield wall."

Robin smiled and tousled his daughter's hair absent-mindedly.

"I suppose we can deploy the foot knights for that. What about the regular units?"

"Chon'sin infantry can cover ground relatively fast. They could be used for flanking and divisionary tactics. We'd want to cut off the enemy forces from the castle gates once the battle meets. Since they'd need to adjust to quick orders, Lady Say'ri should be leading them personally."

From across the table, both Chrom and Sumia regarded the young girl with raised eyebrows.

"Sounds like a solid plan, but wouldn't our mounted knights be better for that?"

It was clear Robin was testing Morgan, but the girl remained unfazed as she rattled off her thoughts.

"Not unless our knights have decided to take up archery for a hobby. Chon'sin infantry also carry bows. They can keep enemy reinforcements at bay while we save our heavy units for the main assault."

Chrom laughed as Robin finally sat back with a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Looks like someone has been hitting the textbooks. It's good to know you'll have someone to share the workload with, Robin."

"We'll see about that. It's one thing to be pushing pieces across a map, it's another to command those pieces in a real battle. Don't forget we haven't factored in terrain yet."

The elation on Morgan's face turned to sober consideration.

"Although if you like, we could go over the scout reports and refine our strategy for the assault," her father offered with a smile.

It wasn't the first time they'd seen Morgan light up like a beacon, but Lucina suspected the effect would always bring a smile out of her.

"I'd like that! Can we do that after dinner?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Robin tapped a finger on the tabletop. "You're supposed to go to the armoury with your mother to get a new sword, right?"

For the tiniest moment, Morgan looked crestfallen before perking up again.

"How about tomorrow then?"

"One thing at a time, little grasshopper," The tactician said as he attacked his meat hungrily. "We'll be stopping by a village tomorrow to resupply for a few days. Plenty of opportunity to refine the plan then."

Gods knew Robin was overworked and could use some help. It wasn't the first time Lucina felt acutely her own uselessness in this respect. With every passing day, it became clear that Morgan was blessed with her father's rare mental brilliance. It was plain for all to see that the young tactician was the best person to make his life easier.

But Lucina couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. All she could share with Morgan were her melee skills. In comparison, Robin had so much more to offer-spellcasting, tactics, a love for books and knowledge. It was such a silly thing to be jealous of her own husband, to be keeping a tally of the advantages he had over her.

There was nothing to it. She had to find something else to bond with Morgan over.

_How do you talk to someone you have nothing in common with, anyway?_

How indeed?

When she had been younger and had just taken over leadership of a kingdom reduced to a band of refugees, she had believed that survival was the only thing that mattered. Never once had she felt that something was missing until she came to this timeline.

But life wasn't just about fighting, was it? Lucina casted her memories further back into her childhood and recalled the smell of baking in the morning, the ringing of temple bells calling the faithful to prayers, attending etiquette lessons and wishing she was elsewhere, visiting the marketplace on a warm summer afternoon...

She could only hope she wasn't too rusty with things that didn't involve fighting or taking lives. Looking up, she noticed that Morgan had already cleaned her tray, her eyes darting to look wistfully at other people's portions. With her voracious appetite, Lucina had to wonder where Morgan packed her calories.

"Here, Morgan." Lucina said, passing the young girl her own dessert.

"I get extra, too?" Morgan quickly took in the items on Lucina's tray. "But that leaves you with none."

"It's all right. I don't really fancy custard."

The teenager was about to demur when Robin elbowed her gently.

"Just take it."

Morgan took a deep breath, visibly wrestling with temptation, before giving up. Digging in with great relish, she gushed, "Thankhs, Mom! Thish ish soo good!"

"The food _is _good." Sumia commented with a smile, her first words for the evening. "You were on cooking duty tonight, my dear?"

Lucina gave her a sidelong look. Her mother knew full well who did what, being the camp roster planner.

"It's not that great. Nah did her fair share of the cooking, too."

"You've improved tremendously though. I'm glad you have some talent in this area. Unlike Robin or your father." Sumia laughed at both men who were devouring their desserts.

Chrom looked up in mock indignation. "Hey, I'll have you know we play very important roles. A good cook needs an appreciative audience after all."

"And now we know who we can count on when we need to throw a party." Robin added with a grin. "Thank you for the wonderful meal tonight, Lucina."

"I-It's no problem. I'm glad you like it."

Three months of being together, and praise from Robin still brought a blush to her face. Somewhere deep inside, Lucina didn't want that feeling to ever go away. As she basked in the warmth of her success, she made a mental note to ask Gaius if he had access to other condiments that could help improve her cooking.

* * *

The trip to the armoury and the smithy turned out to be quite fruitful. Morgan was the proud owner of a brand new rapier and its accompanying scabbard when they walked back to the camp.

The teenager began swinging the naked blade in front of her, relishing the sound it made cutting through the air.

"You might hurt yourself or somebody if you do that, Morgan," Lucina couldn't help but caution. She did her best to keep her tone as light as possible, their rocky introduction made her acutely aware that the last thing she wanted was to rebuff the young girl.

As it was, the blade wavered in Morgan's hand before she returned it to the sheath.

"You can swing it all you want when we train. You'll need to get used to the feel of the blade," she offered hurriedly. "Just don't do it in the dark."

"Okay," came Morgan's noncommittal response after a while.

Lucina suppressed a faint sigh. How was it that even a simple conversation like this could be fraught with so much implication and awkwardness? Would she ever be able to mimic Robin's ability at doling out concessions without making them sound like admonishments?

Full night had fallen, and torches and camp fires lit the area in a warm glow. Ahead of them was the command tent, brightly lit. Although it was a standing order to make sure the place was always ready, there should be no one inside tonight. No war council had been convened and its most regular user, Robin had indicated he would be working in their tent tonight.

Which was why it was a surprise to hear a scream followed by Cynthia bursting from between the flaps and running frantically towards them.

Always on alert, Lucina drew Falchion quickly and ran to meet her sister.

"Cynthia, are we under attack? What happened back there? Are you all right?"

"H-help! Save me, Lucy!"

In the dim torchlight, she could see the whites of Cynthia's eyes. Lucina's heart lurched to her throat in alarm and she gripped her sister's shoulder.

"Breath, Cynthia. Calm down and tell me what happened. I'm here to help."

The young pegasus knight gestured wildly back towards the command tent she just fled from.

"B-b-bug! A bug!"

_Wait a minute._

"...A bug? ...As in...an insect?"

"Not just _any_ insect! This one's huge, and hairy! I-It's horrible, like out of a nightmare!"

Lucina slammed Falchion back into its sheath in disgust.

"You're telling me all that screaming and flailing was over an insect? Honestly, Cynthia, you could have sent the whole camp into a panic."

Cynthia's lips thinned in impatience.

"Oh yeah? Well if it's just an insect to you, then help me get it out of there. For all we know, it could be chewing up the maps right now."

Beside them, Morgan's brows furrowed with thought. "There are insects that live off paper, or so I've read."

"Uh oh, all our assault plans are in there! Plus the scout reports that just came in today."

Morgan's eyes widened in response.

"Dad promised me we'll look through those! No way I'm gonna let a bug spoil that!" The teenager declared, running into the command tent. At a loss over what to do, Lucina followed along with Cynthia coming up close behind.

Nothing seemed out of place apart from several rolls of paper scattered across the rug floor. Fresh candles burned brightly in their stands. A large map of the Valmese continent with different coloured flags marking troop movements took centrepiece on the table in the middle. Surrounding the perimeter were a series of makeshift racks and shelves filled with assorted maps and reports. In one corner, a stack of camp stools stood neatly.

"Where is it, Cynthia?"

Cynthia's eyes darted around the room as she peered from behind her older sister. Her face paled as her finger pointed towards a rack of scrolls at the back of the tent.

"It's over there!"

It was a monstrous thing. Lucina didn't even think it could qualify as a bug. The creature was as big as her palm, with a jet-black carapace and thick appendages covered with hair. In all her life, she had never seen an insect so big. It stared at them with its black beady eyes and waved its antennae in a menacing fashion.

"Whoa..." Morgan breathed in wonder. "That's really big. I wonder what else does it eat?"

"Us?" Cynthia hazarded with a squeak.

"That's just silly." Lucina frowned and looked around for something that could be used as a bug swatter. Her eyes landed on a tactics manual and mouthing a silent apology to Robin, she heaved it up and approached the target.

"I don't see what the fuss is all-"

Suddenly, the carapace split open and the bug took to the air with rasping wings.

"EEEEEK!"

Never in her life would Lucina imagine she could pirouette with such speed.

"See, see? It's the stuff of nightmares!" Cynthia yelled from the side, seizing things and throwing them indiscriminately. "Hurry up and kill it! Kill it with fire magic!"

Braced against a rack to avoid the projectiles, Morgan shouted back, "I didn't bring my spellbook!"

The bug began buzzing drunkenly around the room, knocking into shelves and books. It was too much to bear. The three of them ran out of the tent as fast as they could. Hands on knees, they gasped for breath by the entrance.

Cynthia glared at Lucina accusingly.

"What happened to no fuss? How are you going to save the future if you can't even smoosh one stupid bug?"

"Did you see that thing? It's huge! And those two things are not related in the slightest. How do _you_ plan to be a hero if you're scared of a bug?"

"Bugs are not mentioned in the hero manual! Besides, you're the oldest here. Shouldn't you be leading by example? Hmm?"

Lucina glanced down at Morgan who was listening to their conversation avidly. It was true. How did she expect to teach the teenager to hold her own in battle when all it took was a bug to undo her?

Reluctantly, she unsheathed Falchion. Something at the back of her mind told her it was an overkill, but all she wanted was to get this over and done with.

"I knew I could depend on you, Lucy!" Cynthia squealed. "Three cheers for the once and future Exalt!"

"It wouldn't hurt you to show some spine, you know." Lucina muttered as her sister darted behind her once more. "You were groomed for royalty too."

The tent was dark when they entered, the candles having been knocked off their stands.

"I can't see anything. Does anyone have a tinderbox?"

"Make Falchion glow!" Cynthia's disembodied voice sounded unnaturally loud, almost causing Lucina to jump. "Then when you see it, Ker-STAB!"

"Falchion isn't some common pitchfork or a pageantry torch, Cynthia. It's a blade of legend!"

"_Luminae._" Morgan incanted and a small flame danced into existence on the tip of her finger. It was just enough light to avoid tripping over obstacles.

"Sorry. That's the best I can do without my spellbook."

"Don't be," Lucina said ruefully. "It's certainly more useful than anything the rest of us have done so far."

Just as she finished speaking, the horrid buzzing sound began again, and she felt something brush past her ear.

"Ahh! It's flying! It's flying again!" Cynthia screamed and ran into her.

"Stand back! Give me space to swing, Cynthia. I don't want to hit you by mistake!"

"Mom, it's over here!"

"Finger, Morgan, finger! You're setting the tent on fire!"

"Oops!"

"Ow, my toe! Ow, Ow! Bring back the light!"

Suddenly the tent flaps flew wide open. Bright torchlight flooded the space in time for them to see the bug skitter towards the entrance. Before it could make a timely escape, demise came in the form of a boot crunch.

"What in the name of...? What's going on here?" Chrom demanded to stunned faces.

When there was no answer, he lifted up his boot and grimaced.

"Does this have something to do with the smear I just acquired?"

"F-Father!"

The evidence was indisputable-Falchion naked in her hand, the tent in absolute disarray. She was his oldest child, a grown woman and yet she couldn't even handle such a silly thing as a bug encounter.

Beside her, Cynthia piped up in awe. "You're amazing, Father! It took us forever to try and kill that bug and you did it accidentally!"

With an explosive snort, Morgan burst into laughter.

Chrom surveyed the room, looking absolutely flummoxed. Lucina took a deep breath, waiting for the outburst from him.

It never came. Instead, he gave a strange cough as if trying to contain his amusement.

"And it so happens I came in time to stop the place from burning down?"

Fresh peals of laughter emerged from Morgan as she squatted on the floor and clutched at her stomach. Cynthia collapsed on the ground howling.

"I-I'm so sorry, Father." Lucina said, her posture ram-rod straight, face bright red. "It was my fault. I should have handled this better."

"No harm was done," he waved a hand, chuckling. "But ah, don't destroy any maps or reports please. Or Robin will get mad and quit his job and we'll be out of a tactician."

Imagine what would've happened if they did set fire to the war documents! All the months of hard work, gone. She wouldn't be able to face Robin, knowing the anguish she'd caused him. Cyntha _was_ right. She should have led by example.

"There is no excuse. I should have known better." Lucina muttered in deep mortification as she moved to pick up the fallen items. Chrom clearing his throat made her stop short.

"Cynthia, Morgan, why don't you two clean up? Try not to wreak anything this time, eh? Come, Lucina, take a walk with me."

Bracing herself mentally, Lucina sheathed Falchion and followed her father out of the tent. The cool air outside was a relief, easing both her heart and mind. As her thoughts gradually settled down, she chanced a curious look at him.

Despite months spent with him, she still couldn't get used to his more jovial and easygoing nature in this timeline. Chrom from her own future was a broken and crippled man towards the end of his life. He loved his children dearly, but he was a stern taskmaster and laughter didn't come easy to him.

If anything, her father from this timeline fought, loved and played just as hard as the Shepherds he led. Perhaps he was the reason for Nah's gripe. Everyone else was simply following the example set by their liege.

They walked in companionable silence into the main part of the camp. Her father's expression was warm and inviting, but Lucina had no idea what was expected of her and so she kept quiet.

Finally, Chrom gave a bark of a laugh.

"You know, I've always thought I'd do one of these heart-to-heart talks with my children someday, but what we'd talk about always eludes me." He shrugged. "I'm probably projecting here because I remember wishing I could talk like that to my father. Or maybe watching you with Morgan is like seeing my life flash past before my eyes."

It was true. If she had to handle the shock of having a grown daughter, imagine what he would be feeling. But outwardly, he seemed to have taken everything in stride in his usual way.

"What was Grandfather like?" Lucina asked instead to fill the silence. What she knew of the man was commonplace knowledge. Distraught by the death of his wife, he had waged a bitter and misplaced war against Plegia. When he had died and left Aunt Emmeryn to take over rebuilding the nation, Chrom was just six years old.

"I was very young then. But from what I remember of him, he was a harsh and cold man. So maybe it's fortunate for you that I never got that heart-to-heart talk with him." He gave her a wink, determined, it seemed, to make light of the topic.

"What I do regret," he continued, "is that I have no fatherly example to fall back on. Shortly after you were born in this timeline, I had a panic attack. What in the name of Naga was I thinking bringing a new life into this world? Thankfully, your mother pulled me through. And now that I look back, I can say it was one of the best decisions I've made in my life." He smiled at her. "Have you ever wondered why your mother and I got married so quickly after the war with Plegia?"

It was something that had never occurred to her. Ylisse had lost Exalt Emmeryn in a tragedy that shook the entire continent. And although they had won the war, the casualties were staggering on both sides. It had been a long time since her lessons in statecraft, but she hazarded a guess.

"Because Ylisse needed to know its new ruler was capable of reviving the kingdom and carrying on the royal legacy? The people needed a sign of hope and a reason to celebrate?"

She almost giggled at the satisfied glint in Chrom's eyes. He and Robin were alike as brothers in so many ways.

"Correct, but it's more than that. Your aunt's sacrifice taught me not to take anything for granted. For many years, Emm set her own happiness and future aside for the sake of Ylisse. You could say that it made her passing easier to bear but I keep wondering if she might have chosen a different path had she more personal ties in this world."

They approached the middle of the camp where a large bonfire was burning merrily. It was a communal spot to relax in the evening. Wood was plentiful around here and a healthy stack sat next to the fire. Now and then, someone would toss a piece in to keep the light and warmth going. A few Shepherds were sitting on fallen logs strewn around, chatting quietly. Waving to them, Chrom led her to an empty spot and settled down.

"It's not in me to be a martyr like Emm," he continued, elbows resting on his knees. "I prefer to live life to the fullest and go down fighting if I must. There's no room for regrets or lost chances. It's also why I didn't knock the living daylights out of Robin when I found out about the both of you."

Oh gods. _That_ had been one episode she would never forget as long as she lived. It wasn't a tryst if they were married, Lucina kept reminding herself, although Sumia had fainted right on the spot. The news had travelled like wildfire and poor Robin had suffered the brunt of the Shepherds' reception. In a way, it was to be expected. The tight-knitted group shared a strong sense of guardianship towards her and her time travelling friends.

It was only after the debacle that Lucina realised her father hadn't taken sides. He simply insisted that they held an official wedding at the next village they stopped at so he could give her away properly. It was likely he and Robin shared words behind closed doors but she had been too overjoyed to find out.

"Did you feel nothing at all when you first heard the news, Father?" Lucina asked curiously.

Some of the women in the camp even went so far as to ask if she had joined in the union of her own freewill! She knew the Shepherds meant well, but when the dirty looks and name-calling directed at Robin showed no signs of stopping, she had finally snapped and told everyone to mind their own business.

"It took getting used to," Chrom admitted as he found a stick and began digging the ground with it. "But you are an adult with the right to make your choices. And there's no better man I'd entrust my daughter to. If Robin has one bad habit, it's that he's incapable of not taking care of others. You have chosen better than I could ever do for you."

Lucina stammered in embarrassment and pride. "I-I believe he was the one who did the choosing. Very persistently too."

Chrom laughed heartily.

"Well, I'm glad for both of you! You should also try and relax. You're still very young, Lucina. I'm sorry you've had to grow up fast, way too fast. Trust Robin and I to get things under control in this timeline. Put down your burden and have some fun now and then."

She hesitated before confessing slowly, "I have been trying. That was until Morgan showed up and I feel obliged to be a good parent to her. Except I'm not sure how to..."

Chrom blinked in surprise, his hand arrested as he dug ruts in the packed earth.

"Having the same problem, are you? Guess that shouldn't come as a surprise. Frederick actually have some good advice for that. He told me to be your friend first and foremost, and to work on everything else when time and opportunity permits."

At her puzzled look, he went on to explain, "It didn't make sense to me at first. But I'm beginning to understand that being a good parent doesn't happen overnight. You need to work on it and that takes years. We don't have those years, you and I, so there's no point forcing the issue."

He clapped her on her shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud to have you as my daughter. But I value our friendship equally. Hopefully from there, I may become a good father to you one day."

It was just dust in her eyes, she swore, trying not to sniffle. There was absolutely no doubt on her part. If a distinction had to be made, she loved this younger version of her father as much as the one she'd lost in her future.

"You already are, Father."

"Aww, thank you, Lucina." He wrapped his arms around her in a quick hug. "Promise me you won't wear yourself down trying to do too many things at once, okay?"

"I won't." she said, wiping her eyes against her sleeve. "I do envy Robin though. He juggles so many roles effortlessly."

Chrom chuckled.

"Thank the gods there's just one of him then. Or he'll put all of us out of business! Oh, and I take it back. I remember thinking something when I heard the news-I swore if Robin ever looks at baby Lucina funny, I'd kick his teeth out."

It took a while for Lucina to understand what he meant. But when she finally joined in his laughter, her heart felt lighter than it had been for a while. It would take time to sort out all the advice offered by everyone today. Chrom's suggestion to take it easy was a good place to start as any and so she resolved to relax and be herself around Morgan.

It had been a day of revelations. Far too many. But the best thing was ending it with a heart-to-heart talk with her father.


	3. We're Going on a Bear Hunt

**A/N: Back with another chapter! This chapter probably contains the most delicate and subtle scene I've ever written. I have no idea if the intended effect is there or if it's going to hit with the force of a sledgehammer. Feedback would be highly appreciated! **

* * *

**Chapter 3: We're Going on a Bear Hunt**

Another morning, another new beginning. Sound of exertions once again punctured the pre-dawn silence as Morgan's training continued. Lucina swung the practice blade in a well practised ritual and the instinctive speed which Morgan blocked the strike made it clear that she anticipated the blow.

Time to raise the stakes.

Instead of the backhand strike she usually followed up with, Lucina shoved hard and swung her blade upwards to throw the girl offguard. With a grunt, Morgan twisted her weapon, parrying the blow before kicking out. As Lucina backpedalled, the teenager swung the weapon in a low arc, pressing on with her attack. Nimbly, Lucina jumped out of the way.

"Good catch, Morgan." she said approvingly. "Next time, go for an upper body strike after the kick. I would be watching my feet and that makes for a good opening."

Across from her, Morgan grinned. Just as quickly, her expression turned serious, her eyes returning to track her opponent's movements. The last few days had taught Lucina that teenager had a good head about her shoulders. Morgan rarely let elation get the better of her, not after she'd paid soundly for her brash moves earlier on.

Still, it took more than a good attitude to win a fight.

"Last round."

Morgan perked up before narrowing her eyes in concentration. She knew what to expect. The final round of their training session always involved Lucina going all out, no quarters given. The teenager's task was to see how long she could survive the onslaught.

Today, there was a definite glint in those young eyes when their blades met. Lucina didn't think much about it, busy as she was keeping mental time. When she whirled around to execute a backhand swing, Morgan shouted a spell incantation. A blinding flash of light exploded before her eyes, causing her to stumble. Her reflexes kicking in, she moved her blade across her body to block the anticipated blow. At the moment of impact, her knee jerked upwards and connected with something soft.

"Oof!" Morgan exclaimed. A muffled thump made by a body hitting the ground followed.

Lucina stumbled back a few steps. Amidst dancing bright spots, she could make out Morgan lying spread-eagle on the ground, chest working like bellows.

The girl turned towards her with a laugh.

"That was close! I thought I had you!"

The urge to yell foul was strong but she quelled it. She would've certainly done so if Cynthia had been her sparring partner. Dirty trick or not, it worked very well, she told herself as she massaged her eyes, willing the spots to go away. And in a fight against adult opponents, Morgan was going to need all the help she could get to emerge unscathed.

"Mom, did I hurt you?" Small hands reached out to encircle her wrist anxiously. "I'm sorry, the idea of a distraction was so exciting I had to try it out. Maybe I should've replaced it with a sound effect instead, like kaboom! or-"

"I'll be fine, Morgan," she assured the teenager as she rubbed her eyes one last time.

"You sure?" Morgan asked dubiously.

"Yes, I am." Lucina mustered a smile as she began leading the way towards the nearby outcropping where their supplies laid. "Don't you want to know what your timing was?"

Aunt Lissa liked to joke at length about what she called Robin's Rubber Face. Watching the quicksilver way the girl's expression change, she'd bet Morgan would give her father a good run for his money.

"Oh, yeah! So what is it?"

"Fifteen seconds, a two second improvement from yesterday."

The young tactician frowned as she slumped against the side of a boulder.

"It's still not good enough, is it?"

It was a good question. In recent days, Lucina had found that she had to hold back less and less as Morgan rapidly caught up to her. The girl was a quick learner and it was possible she would surpass both Robin and herself in combat ability in time. But time was not their friend. The biggest oversight Lucina could commit was assuming that Morgan would only be fighting against sword users.

She felt a strange pang for what she was about to say, but still ploughed through.

"Actually, it is. Tomorrow, you'll begin sparring with different partners to get a feel of how to fight axe and lance wielders. Your father will also begin instructing you in spellcasting."

"Booyah, onwards to round two! Let the fun continue!"

Morgan took a victorious swig of water, swallowing noisily.

_Such terrible manners._ Lucina couldn't help but laugh mentally.

"Wait," the teenager lowered her waterskin after a while as if something just occurred to her. "What about the rest of our training? We're not done, right?"

"I'll come in as your partner for some of the pair ups, but you need to work on other areas, areas I cannot help you with."

Morgan continued to wear that strange look as if she had misplaced something important.

"But I haven't beaten you yet…?"

"All in good time, little grasshopper," Lucina promised, borrowing Robin's phrase. "There is always room for improvement, but we are nearing the final leg of the campaign. When it is over, you and I can train as much as you wish."

Just a few months ago, she would've balked at discussing the aftermath of a war as if nothing would change. It sat wrong with her, yet for some reason, she was reluctant to rock the boat for Morgan.

As if hearing her thoughts, Morgan seemed to consider those words warily before she finally said, "Okay. I'm holding you to that."

The young girl was busy strapping on her rapier when Lucina took her own drink of water. She lowered her head to the faint jingle of metal and saw Morgan lifting Falchion up for an inspection. Feeling eyes on her, the young girl put it down guilty.

"It's all right. You can take Falchion out if you like."

Morgan hesitated and then drew the blade clean of its scabbard with a deadly whisper.

"So this is the Blade of Kings? It's heavy but so well-balanced…" The teenager's awed voice drifted across as she hefted the grip, testing out the weight.

Lucina sat down on the outcropping, wiping her face with a towel as she watched Morgan began swinging the blade experimentally.

"What do you know of Falchion, Morgan? Is this the first time you're handling it?"

Morgan's near total amnesia made the future she came from an utter mystery. It was strange to know that she had bore a child with Robin in another future. How was that possible if she'd never gone back in time? What were the circumstances behind the girl's conception? What was her version of the future like?

"It's one of Ylisse's national treasures along with the Fire Emblem. Both were conferred on the Hero King Marth and his descendents for the purpose of defeating dark dragons." Morgan intoned as though reciting from a book. She took a deep breath here. "I don't remember if I've held it before. It doesn't feel familiar in my hands..."

Lucina raised a knee and propped her hands on top of it with interest. The last week taught her that her daughter was a prodigious reader with near perfect recall of the books she devoured. What Morgan had quoted so far was common knowledge, but some facts were traditionally only made known to individuals of certain circles.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about the Emblem?"

A furrow marred Morgan's brow, a clear sign that she was struggling to remember.

"The complete Emblem contains five gemstones. Ylisse has custody of Argent. The other four gems were entrusted to Plegia, Regna Ferox, Chon'sin and Valm during the Schism. I think there's a standing agreement between all five countries to hand over the gemstones so the Awakening ritual can be performed in times of great need." The teenager cocked her head at Lucina. "Am I right?"

There was no reason to think Morgan had conjured all of that out of thin air. But before any conclusions could be made, Lucina had to be sure of one last thing.

"Did you learn this from someone in the camp?"

"No." The young girl said slowly. "It's like something I've had to memorise."

In the preceding silence, Morgan swung Falchion again. The blade cut through the air with nary a whisper until she stilled her hand and turned around, a look of confusion on her face.

"Wait, what about the one Grandfather carries? Isn't that also Falchion?"

It was a question that was bound to pop up in one way or another.

"It is the same weapon, just separated by a span of twenty years or so." Lucina said quietly.

_One day, it will be passed on to you._

She wished to the bottom of her heart that she could say that. If only things were that simple.

False hopes were devastating. False hopes that rippled out to drag bystanders in kicking and screaming were worse. Lucina had learned that lesson the hard way. It was why she never wanted to put too much thought into what she must do once the Fell Dragon was defeated. Any decision she made would have a profound effect, not just on Robin but also on Morgan now.

"Is something wrong, Mom? You've gone quiet in the last few minutes."

Lucina looked up and did her best to muster a smile for Morgan. She had never been good at hiding what she felt. But the girl had completed her sword training today and deserved some reward.

"I'm all right, just thinking odd fancies. We have one more day to replenish supplies before we resume march. Sir Lon'qu mentioned game is plentiful in these parts. Would you like to go on a hunt later on?"

"Ooh, I get to be a provider of food and earn my keep too? Watch out, Valmese Wildlife, Huntswoman Morgan will make kebabs out of you!"

It didn't take much to make Morgan's day and her good cheer was so infectious that Lucina found herself genuinely feeling better.

"Very well then. Let's set off after lunch."

* * *

The past few days of resupplying had been a gift. There was still work to be done, but staying in one place also gave the army time to rest and recharge. Robin had finished redrafting the assault plans the day before with no small assistance from Morgan. With his double duties as an active combatant and the army's tactician, he was exempted from the regular chores most of the Shepherds were rostered for. But knowing Robin, he would still find a hundred and one things around the camp to busy himself with.

Which was how Lucina found him by the supply wagons, consulting a thick logbook with Laurent. The area was a hive of activity. Anna was busy haggling prices with harried wholesalers while workers from the village unloaded crates nearby.

From the side, Lucina watched the proceedings with interest.

"Pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen!" Anna concluded happily and shook hands with the wholesalers who seemed to be on their way to wearing permanent grimaces. Laurent who was nodding at Robin's directives received a jab from the red-headed merchant. With a laugh, Robin took over the army's cashbox and doled out the payment for the goods.

"Good deal," he said once the dealers left earshot.

"Did you expect any less? Don't forget to include my commission in next fortnight's pay!" Anna said cheerfully before making her way towards the mess hall.

"The smith will not appreciate making shovel heads, Robin." Laurent muttered, continuing their discussion from before. "Not to mention making it a priority above all his other work."

"Convince him, Laurent. You have permission to assign men to help him if he wishes. The trackers' regiment will supply appropriate pieces of wood to fashion handles."

The young mage gave a sigh that seemed to ask what he had done to deserve this.

"I'll try."

By the time Robin was done with him, Laurent looked as harried as the wholesalers. The tactician clapped Laurent on the shoulder reassuringly as he bid the young mage a good day before turning to join Lucina.

"What was that about?" She asked as they walked away from the supply area.

"Morgan and I came up with a new plan for the assault." he explained with a wink. "You'll find out at tonight's war council. Mmm... Is that lunch I smell?"

It was time for the midday meal and she had taken the liberty of packing sandwiches in a satchel which she carried on her shoulder. The march that would begin the day after would end with the final assault and Lucina was determined that Robin had a chance to relax.

She shook her head with a laugh.

"Is that all you can think about?"

He had the decency to look abashed.

"Sorry, can't help it."

"Well, I know now I'd have no lack of work keeping you and Morgan fed." She poked his stomach playfully. "Careful you don't grow a paunch. You haven't been training regularly of late."

Robin wrapped his arms around his midriff and grinned.

"I blame paperwork. There's entirely too much of it. Tomorrow, I'll start getting back into shape."

They walked through the camp, making for the direction of a small stand of fir trees nearby. Light from the noon sun fell through in slivers under the chequered canopy and the air was cooler by several degrees. A thick blanket of fragrant fir needles made for pleasant seating as they settled down by a tinkling brook that cut across the forest floor.

Robin stretched, joints popping audibly with the effort.

"How did training with Morgan go?"

"Better than I'd expected." Lucina said as she handed him a cloth-wrapped sandwich and the wine skin. "She threw in a sneak attack which caught me off guard."

He cocked his head and smiled at her.

"You sound awfully proud about that."

"I do? It's not my intention." She hurried to explain. "I fear Morgan will need all the help she can get to survive the final assault."

"I was just teasing you." He planted a kiss on the top of her head before unwrapping his sandwich. "Make no mistake, the fight with Walhart will take everything we have, but there will be room for hit and run tactics. I'm thinking of putting Morgan with one of the flanking units."

"Where would I be assigned?" Lucina asked, trying to hide the worry from her voice as she took her first bite. There was no deny her desire to be at Morgan's side, but it wasn't a request she could make in good faith. Not when they were about to embark on the most important battle in this campaign.

"Mmm... It so happens that the range unit will need a melee shield. And if everything goes well, Morgan wouldn't need to engage the enemy up close."

Much as she appreciated the arrangements, it wasn't like Robin to make such a bald faced concession to their daughter's safety.

"I don't know, Robin," she said slowly. "Maybe she could sit out this battle? I would like to be with her, but you'll need our strongest fighters for the main assault. And I don't think she should be alone out there."

Robin chewed his mouthful of sandwich before replying.

"This battle will be more about the numbers we can muster than anything else. Against an enemy that numbers in hundreds of thousands, your absence wouldn't be very noticeable." He looked at her apologetically. "Morgan's idea that we form mobile flanking units is a good one. Range attacks will be a decisive factor. But her assignment can always be decided at a later date."

He took a swig of the wineskin and leaned against a tree trunk with a sigh. In the dappled shade of the forest, Robin's face looked wearied. It wasn't unusual during the days leading to a major battle for him to work himself to the bone. Except this time, they were going into the biggest battle either of them would ever see.

"It _is_ a wonderful day today." He said with a smile and surveyed the place with half-lidded eyes. "I'm glad we have a bit of time for this."

She ought to have know better than to talk about work, Lucina chided herself mentally. It was bad enough that she could do so little to ease Robin's burden. And here she was looking for his assurance that things would be fine again. Sometimes, she felt ashamed at the disparity of their roles, but if she voiced out her thoughts about the matter, she knew he'd just laugh it off.

Robin would be the first to argue that it wasn't the magnitude of the contribution that mattered and to a certain extent it was true. Lady Olivia's job was to assist with the laundry, breakfast preparation and other odd jobs in the camp. Without her diligent contribution, the Shepherds would've fallen apart before they met any enemy in battle.

Lucina took a deep breath. It was time to call the a silly notion of disappearing from the face of this world once the war was over what it was-a silly notion. It wasn't much. Something like this could always wait, but she'd do it if it meant taking one load off Robin's mind.

"Do you remember offering to think of a way for me to stay by my father's side?" She said softly. "I think I'm ready to take that offer."

Robin sat up immediately. After a moment, he broke into a wide smile as he flung his arms around her in a tight hug, bursting into a long litany of 'thank you's which she couldn't help but smile at.

"Thank you," he said one last time, touching his forehead to hers.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have led you on for so long."

"Don't be. Back then, it made perfect sense that you should want to do that."

Lucina gave a breath of a laugh.

"Lots of things stopped making sense once I threw my lot with you. But there's no hurry. I know you have a lot to do right now."

"Hah! Try me." Robin's grin returned full force. "There's always my baby-making plan if all else fails. No reason why we can't put that into motion while I come up with something else."

To Lucina's credit, she managed not to turn beet red. Over the last week, she had picked up a trick or two. Deflection was a good tactic against Robin's teasing. So for answer, she picked up his abandoned sandwich and placed it firmly back in his hands.

"It _can_ wait, Robin. Now finish up your food."

It was wonderful to hear his hearty laughter. Cramming the rest of the sandwich into his mouth, he washed it down with wine.

"Now I'm curious," he said when he was done. "I have a good idea what made you changed your mind, but I'd still like to hear it from you."

The change had been so gradual she hadn't felt it until Morgan brought up the topic. Now that she was aware of it, the decision of leaving Robin and their daughter felt more and more painful she couldn't imagine going through with it.

"Father shouldn't be troubled with having to explain my presence in his life," she chose to say instead. "A grown woman, neither his wife nor daughter clinging to the Exalt's side? Tongues would surely wag. And now there's Morgan, bearing the same brand that's plain for all to see."

Lucina bowed her head with a deprecating laugh. "If it was just myself, I would choose to leave. But you should have seen how happy she was knowing you are instructing her tomorrow. She has her life in front of her and she loves you so much. It would be terribly selfish to expect her to join me in exile."

Robin slid a finger under her chin, raising her head high enough for her to see the concern on his face.

"Don't short change yourself. Lucina. Morgan has been going around asking about what you like so she could find more common ground with you. She would be equally devastated if we lost you."

Ordinarily, the news would've brought her joy, but Lucina sternly tampered her reaction. Their relationship was improving, but she wasn't sure she could take any credit for it. Morgan's natural exuberance and friendliness made not liking her _hard_. Faces literally lit up as she went about her business in the camp.

At the same time, it was distressing when something troubled the teenager. The slightest disappointment on Morgan's face made Lucina's heart clutched, followed by an unreasonable need to make things right for her daughter. But there was one thing she wouldn't be able to make right.

"I'm not so sure about that, Robin. I have a strong suspicion Morgan was groomed to be the next Exalt in her future."

"Wait, how could you know that? Did Morgan remember something?"

Patiently, Lucina related her conversation with Morgan. The confusion on Robin's face slowly dissipated, to be replaced by a frown as he mulled over the news. He reached out to grab another sandwich, chewing absentmindedly.

"I didn't know Ylisse had an agreement with the other four nations to hand over the gem stones."

"Neither did I. But such information isn't common knowledge. I knew about the awakening ritual because it was part of my lessons as successor to the throne." Lucina drew her knees up, hugging them as her voice became softer. "But even if I remain in this timeline, I would not contest for the throne of Ylisse. It belongs to my younger self of this world. And when I do that, Morgan's birthright would be forfeited by virtue of being my daughter."

"Ah."

Robin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Morgan has a clear idea of what she wants to be and it doesn't involve sitting on a throne. To be honest, I'm not sure how big of a problem it is even if she were to regain her memories one day. Assuming she regains them," he cleared his throat here. "It might not be a bad thing if she doesn't."

There was no one more qualified on the subject than Robin, the camp's resident amnesiac. She knew he had just about given up hope on remembering his past, laughing it off instead and saying there was no point harping over it. Morgan seemed determined to drown out any instances of refined behaviour with youthful brashness. It was true that she was far more interested in advancing her tactical knowledge, playing games with the younger Shepherds and reading every book she could get her hands on.

Perhaps Robin was right and ignorance was bliss in this case. But that didn't change what she knew she must do.

"Regardless, it wouldn't do to hide something like this from her." Lucina's lips firmed with resolve. "She has every right to know the truth."

Hands going around the back of his head, Robin laid down on the cushion of fir leaves.

"Do you want me to be around when you do that?"

"It should be fine," she said, much happier with the course of action decided upon. "We are going hunting later. I'll talk to her then. Would you like to come along?"

She turned around when he failed to answer and found him pinching the bridge of his nose, a grimace on his face.

"Robin? Are you all right?"

He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it was obvious he was in pain.

"It's just a headache. Don't worry about it."

Worriedly, she placed a hand on his forehead. It didn't seem like he was running a fever, but she wasn't one to take chances.

"Let's go find Aunt Lissa. She'll know what to do." Lucina said as she began packing up.

Robin sat upright immediately, hands raised in protest.

"Counter proposal! How about we go back to camp so I can catch some shuteye? Sorry but Lissa will probably try and convince me that slipping a frog down my back is some sort of cure."

Lucina couldn't help but laugh. Robin did have a knack for getting into the strangest of situations. Just last week, he'd tag along with Lady Cherche to scout out a mate for Minerva. He'd returned with ringing ears, requiring her to shout all night to make herself heard. He spent entirely too much time helping everyone in the camp, but she couldn't fault him for that. If anything else, it made her love him more for it.

"Lie down," she instructed, wetting her handkerchief in the brook and laying the cloth across his forehead.

Eyes closed, a sigh of relief escaped from Robin. It pained her that he looked so careworn. They haven't met anyone from the camp, which was a pleasant surprise. Taking advantage of the moment, Lucina leaned down to kiss him.

"Thank you," she said when their lips parted. "It's my tendency to dwell on the negative and imagine the worst. I'm fortunate to be blessed with a legendarily optimistic husband such as you. Take care of yourself please, Robin. You are always trying to solve everyone's problems that sometimes you forget you are also human."

Robin opened one eye in a wink and turned his head to nuzzle her cheek.

"Heh. You're welcome? And how could I forget when you're here to remind me? I ought to fall sick more often. Then you'll have to take care of me."

Lucina was about to open her mouth in protest before she recognised it for a joke. Seeing the chance to turn the tables on him, she decided to risk a bold move.

"Mm... I don't know about that," she laid down beside him, her head propped against one hand. "How do you expect to carry out your baby-making plan if you're unwell?"

Eyes growing wide in response, he tried to sit up only to have her pinned him in place with a hand on his chest.

"Er, I wasn't serious! Not with this war ongoing at least."

"It's hard to tell with you sometimes. Ever since Morgan came into our lives, providing her with siblings seems to have become one of your goals in life."

He spluttered valiantly, causing her to giggle. She _was_ getting better at this.

"Now I'm intrigued," she went on, pressing her attack. "How many more children do you have in mind?"

"Umm... how does five sounds to you?" Robin asked sheepishly. "I'll admit I can't get enough of being a father to Morgan. Although a bunch of hyper-energetic kids all bearing the Brand could backfire on the plan..."

Lucina had no answer except for the stunned expression on her face. Six children? It was clear from Robin's expression that he wasn't joking this time. But raising six children would leave her with no time for anything else!

To be fair, it wasn't as if she had a clear idea what else she could be doing once the war ended. The concept of peace was strange, even frightening. Did she intend to live the rest of her life by the blade? Would she even have the right to take physical risks once there were children that depended on her?

"I-I'll think about it..." Lucina said weakly.

Unlike her confession earlier on, this was one decision that could wait. Already, she felt guilty discussing such things in detail when the outcome of the war remained undecided.

"We can cross that bridge when we get there." Robin grinned at her before giving in to a loud yawn. "I think I'll pass on the hunt offer. You go ahead with Morgan and enjoy yourselves."

* * *

Waiting at the one of the camp entrances an hour later, Lucina was surprised to see Morgan approach with unexpected company. The young tactician had her new sword strapped to her side and spellbook pouch slung across one shoulder. Noire was equipped with her customary bow and a quiver of arrows. Stumbling behind on the dirt road, she would've fallen if not for Morgan's hand on her wrist.

"Hi, Mom! Sir Lon'qu's tied up with something so Noire said she'd take her dad's place." Morgan explained cheerfully when they met up.

Lucina tilted her head and study her friend with concern. Noire looked paler than usual and she had one hand clutching a handkerchief which she kept pressing to her nose. It was a known fact the young archer struggled to keep up with her duties while nursing a frail constitution. Normally, Lucina would try to ease Noire's responsibilities as surreptitiously as she could, but she had to wonder if her friend might be better served resting before the final march instead.

"You don't look well, Noire. Are you all right?"

"I-I'm fine. It's just a little runny nose." Noire snorted lustily into her handkerchief. "D-don't worry, Lucina. I won't let it affect my tracking skills."

"Sir Lon'qu's is also down with the flu," Morgan whispered conspiratorially to Lucina, the effect spoiled by the volume of her voice. "Noire insisted on coming saying she could use the practice."

"All right," Lucina said after giving one last look at Noire. "Let's go then."

Following the young archer's lead, they waved farewell to the soldiers on guard duty and set off on the road immediately. A brief moment later, they left the hard-packed dirt path and cut across into the Valmese wilderness. Sparse birch forest encircled the camp here, intermittently broken by low-laying shrub thickets. It was woodlands habitat filled with game such as rabbit, grouse and deer.

A sword wasn't an ideal hunting weapon so Lucina had Falchion slung across her back, one hand holding a stack of javelins which she had some proficiency with. Now and then, Noire would crouch down, scanning the ground for wildlife signs. More often than not, she would press her handkerchief against her nose in an attempt to sneeze soundlessly.

"Rabbits," she said softly after a while, finger pointing at a pile of droppings beside a tussock of flattened grass. "L-looks like a family of them."

Morgan unclasped her pouch and pulled out her spellbook in happy anticipation. Quietly, Lucina selected the slimmest javelin in her stash. It wasn't effective against targets that small and fast, but she could also use the weapon to control the flight path of their prey.

A few minutes of painstaking forward creeping brought the rabbits into view. The animals were fat and glossy, having fattened themselves for the oncoming winter. Noire pulled an arrow from her quiver, hand automatically checking the fletching, as she looked to Lucina for direction.

There were five in total, three adults and two juveniles. From experience, Lucina knew a range spell and an arrow would hit their targets simultaneously. But she didn't trust her ability with javelins to do the same.

Two kills would have to do. She signalled to Morgan and Noire their respective targets and watched as both readied their attacks. The young tactician began the incantation for a lightning bolt spell while Noire drew her bow taunt. It was impossible not to notice sweat beading the archer's forehead on a cool afternoon.

Just as Lucina was about to issue the kill order, Noire's face scrunched up in a sneeze. The sound ratcheted through the quiet copse despite her attempts to suppress it.

Every animal froze in place. Before anything could be done, one of the juveniles decided to make a dash for it, and the rest of the group followed.

_"Thoron!"_

Morgan shouted, unleashing a lightning bolt from her hand. But the rabbits already had a head start and all the spell did was scorch the grass. With trembling hands, Noire released her bow back to its resting position before snatching at her handkerchief and sneezing a few times into it.

"I-I'm so sorry!" She sniffled when the bout ended. "I promise I'll finish sneezing before we go for the kill next time!"

"Relax, Noire!" Morgan said with a laugh. "I bet there's plenty of game around here. We'll get the next group for sure."

If Lucina had heeded her gut feeling earlier, Noire ought to be in a medic's tent, not skulking around in a forest. The delicacy laid in phrasing it so that she didn't discredit her friend.

"You have been working yourself to the bone, Noire." She said gently, resting a hand on the archer's shoulder. "It might be a good idea to return to camp and rest before the next march."

Noire looked up with wide eyes.

"N-no, I'm fine! You need my tracking skills and Morgan's right, this forest is teeming with game. I-it's too early to give up."

It was a good point. Something else niggled at the back of Lucina's mind, but she decided to give her friend the benefit of a doubt. Worse came to worst, Noire could remain behind once they located game, leaving her and Morgan to take care of the kill.

"All right, as long as you promise to speak up if you cannot make it."

"I-I will. Thank you, Lucina."

They came across their next prey twenty minutes later. It was a lone yearling buck stripping red berries off bushes growing at the base of a birch tree.

A deer was a much better target for javelins and Lucina gladly hefted one into position. She looked back to see Morgan inching eagerly into position beside her, but Noire remained behind.

The young archer had her face stuffed into her handkerchief, trying to suppress the sneezes wracking her body. Without looking up, she waved her free hand frantically, signalling that they should go without her.

Lucina bit down her sigh and wondered if she should have Morgan attempt to take down the buck solo. She still had no confidence that her attack would land at the same time as Morgan's spell. Well, staggered hits might have to do. Tensing her muscles for an impending throw, she whispered to the teenager to unleash the spell.

As expected, Morgan's incantation startled the animal which immediately moved to escape. The spell caught the deer on the flank with a loud crackle. At the same time, Lucina hurled her javelin with all her might. The weapon struck the buck's rump causing it to stumble. Dropping her stack of javelins, she shot forward at a dead run.

A feral growl filled the air as she threw herself into a flying tackle at the deer.

She looked up in alarm to see a massive bear crash through the undergrowth. It seemed they weren't the only ones trying to take down the deer.

"Mom!"

Morgan's shout pierced the air as Lucina tried to unsheathe Falchion from her back. It was an awkward position to be in and she rolled away just in time as the bear swung one giant paw. The swipe struck the poor buck, sending it tumbling a few metres away.

Lucina managed to extract Falchion in time to meet the next attack. The sound of an arrow landing with a satisfying _thunk_ caused the bear to roar and shift position. Sharp teeth glanced off the blade which she raised just in time. She kicked hard, foot connecting against the animal's hard body. There was a snowball's chance in hell that she could muster the force to move such a massive animal so she concentrated on stunning her target instead.

In the background, Morgan and Noire's voices could be heard, yelling and arguing.

"I-It's too close! I daren't risk another shot!"

"Mom can't handle by herself! I'm going melee!"

The fetid smell of the animal's breath was strong and cloying. Without additional help, Lucina had no idea how she was going to get out of this unscathed. But the last thing she wanted was Morgan putting herself in physical danger.

"No, Morgan!"

The bear took another swipe which she managed to block with Falchion. It roared in pain as the blade cut into its front leg. But at such close quarters, a sword was a hindrance more than anything else. Unable to bring Falchion up in time again, Lucina could only duck against the incoming bite. It wasn't enough. Teeth failed to make their mark, but the clout from the animal's jaws caused stars to explode in her vision.

"Hang on, Mom!"

Through tearing eyes, Lucina saw the beast stumbled back in a roar of pain. She had just enough wits about her to roll away from the immediate vicinity. Blood flowed generously from a deep slash on the animal's back and she looked up in alarm as the animal swung towards the source of the pain.

Bloodied rapier in hand, Morgan's eyes grew wide as she backtracked instinctively.

Lucina snatched up Falchion with gritted teeth and prepared to dash to the young girl's rescue. But before she could do that, an arrow embedded itself in the bear's chest. It wasn't enough to stop the beast, but the momentary distraction allowed Morgan to retreat to a safe distance.

They had to kill the creature. There was no other way to it. Taking advantage of the distraction, Lucina ran towards Morgan and shoved the girl behind herself.

"Stay back, Morgan!"

"This is way more exciting than hunting rabbits!" Morgan chattered breathlessly. "Bear meat is Dad's favourite food, right?"

Lucina had no idea where her daughter found the time or presence of mind for conversation, but it did meant that she wasn't the type to lose her head in a dangerous situation.

Noire unleashed another arrow from behind that struck home. The animal stood up on its two hind legs and gave a tremendous roar, bloody spittle spraying the ground. It was about to charge, Lucina realised. There was no knowing how many more hits it took to bring the enraged animal down. She raised Falchion in preparation for an attack when the sound of Morgan's voice chanting a spell incantation reverberated behind her.

"_Valflame!_"

A rush of wind blew past. It was followed by an incandescent fireball that flew straight at the bear. The spell struck it dead centre, dousing the poor creature in a pillar of flames.

The beast's cry of distress was thankfully cut short by one last arrow from Noire. Keeping their guard up, Lucina and Morgan watched until the bear finally collapsed to the ground-a sizeable smothering boulder.

"Guess it's roast tonight." The teenager said with a sheepish grin. "Too bad the skin can't be saved. Yarne could use it for a disguise."

What Lucina wanted to say was interrupted by Noire's panting as she dragged something heavy through the undergrowth.

"I-I found the deer we killed earlier. It was lying by the tree over there."

"Oh, goodie! That can be fried or stewed at least."

By the luck of fools, they'd managed to bag two kills and escaped unscathed. Adrenaline drove Lucina's heartbeat as she recalled the number of risks they'd taken. If Morgan had been incapacitated in the course of taking down that bear...no, she couldn't bring herself to complete the thought.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down. They had to find a way to get their kills back to camp. Noire was diving for her handkerchief again after her brief episode of archery brilliance and Lucina didn't dare trust Morgan to make her way safely back to camp. The area was peaceful enough now that she could leave both of them here, she decided.

"Noire, can you stay here with Morgan? I'll get help to carry all this back to camp."

"S-sure, if you know the way back..."

"I do."

In a short time, Lucina returned to the thicket with a group of soldiers in tow. They found Morgan chatting avidly with Noire, the poor girl spending as much time replying as she buried her face in her sodden handkerchief. The sight finally caused the niggling feeling Lucina had before to click into place. No one else was suffering from cold or the flu in the camp. Noire might be born with a weak constitution, but Sir Lon'qu was as healthy as a bull.

There was definitely something fishy going on, but it had to wait, along with the discussion she was going to have with Morgan. They returned to camp in fair jubilation with some of the troopers grumbling, albeit good naturedly, about having bear for dinner tonight. At least venison would be a welcomed change of fare during the march.

The afternoon was coming to a close when Lucina and Morgan found themselves alone by the water barrels washing off the residue of the hunt.

"We have hunted and emerged breadwinners! No bread was involved in the operation, but 'winners' is definitely correct!" Morgan quipped as she splashed water on her face. The teenager had remained in high spirits throughout the trip back to the camp.

It pained Lucina to break her daughter's bubble of happiness, but she couldn't get it off her mind how Morgan had disobeyed a direct order.

"Why did you come to my rescue just now, Morgan?" she asked softly as she wiped her face dry with a towel.

The young tactician looked up in confusion.

"You were in danger," she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And I was in a position to do something about it."

"Yes, but I said not to," Lucina was compelled to point out. "Do you remember you promised to listen to orders?"

The teenager acquired a wary expression, indicating she did remember. Lucina watched as a myriad of emotions flitted across the girl's face: embarrassment, petulance, defiance, none of which reassured her one bit.

Looking down, long bangs covering her face, Morgan finally muttered, "I regret the need to disobey orders, Mother."

There was a moment of foot shuffling before the young tactician continued, indignation faint but clear in her voice, "And I hope you can answer this: what would you have done if I hadn't intervene?"

Frowning, Lucina opened her mouth and then closed it again.

It was a good question. Morgan's distraction had been just the thing she needed to get out of the hairy situation. But the teenager clearly didn't see anything wrong with what she did and the last thing Lucina wanted was promote brashness and rebellious behaviour.

"That's not the point, Morgan. I told you not to engage and you did. How can I trust that you'll listen to orders in a real battle?"

Fists clenched, Morgan said in a low voice, "You would've been hurt or dead if I didn't do that! A calculated risk was the best course of action because I knew either you or Noire would make good use of my distraction!"

Any doubt over Morgan being heir to the Ylissean throne in her own timeline was dispelled. The young tactician stood straight and regal, her chin held high as she tried to restrain her emotions. Leadership was bred into Morgan's blood. She would never be content following orders blindly.

They were alone for now, but dinner preparation was about to begin. Which meant someone would come along to draw water from the barrels.

"Can we take a walk, Morgan?"

The girl looked at her warily through a thick fringe of blue hair and nodded.

Lucina tried to give the impression that they were out on a stroll as she led them towards the stand of fir from this morning. They reached the spot in short order, each choosing a tree trunk for backrest as they settled on the forest floor. Long shadows marking the progress of the sun threw deep shadows across the ground. The sound of the bubbling brook was a nice, even soothing distraction.

It was easy to fall into the trap of thinking she was dealing with a child, but the young tactician had shown remarkable restraint and her tactical assessment had been spot on. Lucina was coming to realise the easiest way to lose Morgan's regard was to brush off her argument. Taking a deep breath, she began without preamble.

"You were right, Morgan. I needed an opening and you gave it to me."

She paused, unsure of how to proceed. Lucina's mind wandered back to the candid conversation she had with her father. It probably shouldn't come as a surprise that honesty was also the best recourse here.

"You have to understand, I wouldn't be able to stop worrying about your safety even if I wanted to." Lucina said as she tossed a pebble into the stream. "I know it's isn't fair to you and I'm sorry about that."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Morgan slowly lost her caution, her body language relaxing and becoming attentive.

"I'm not the only one who feels this way. Your father too. We were lucky today but think of what would've happened if either of us got hurt. He's so tired running this war and we would be giving him one more thing to worry about."

A look of guilt filled the young tactician's face at that. Silently heartened that her reproach hadn't bruised Morgan's pride so far, Lucina went on.

"We made several bad calls today. I shouldn't have gone for that deer without checking our surroundings. Noire wasn't in the right condition for a hunt either. Let's learn from this and not make the same mistakes again, okay?"

Head bowed, Morgan clasped her hands together and muttered something inaudibly.

"What is it, Morgan?"

"I said what makes you think you and Dad are the only ones who feel that way?"

At her look of confusion, the young tactician lifted her head, eyes bright with resolve.

"Don't you get it? I couldn't stand by and watch you take that hit." Morgan swiped her eyes roughly with the back of her hand. "It _was_ a stupid situation to be in, but I'd do the same thing all over again if I had to. Sorry, Mom, that's just the way it is," she concluded in a small voice.

Lucina finally remembered to close her mouth after several seconds.

Well, that came from the blindside. She'd thought to stop Morgan from taking unnecessary risks, but it looked like that wasn't going to happen. Frustration ought to be the order of the day, but strangely, there was also very little of that.

She wasn't expecting the concern she felt towards Morgan to be reciprocated. Lucina knew now she had no right to insist the teenager leave her alone in another similar situation. It might come back and bite them in the ass, but they'd deal with it when the time came.

Glancing at Morgan, she saw the girl tugging fir needles out of a fallen branch like the world depended on it. Thinking back on her reaction when Morgan appeared, Lucina had to wonder why the only thing she'd felt was despair at how she was changing the future. Her duty was heavier than a mountain, but if the only thing she could spare was her life, she'd gladly give up it for her daughter.

"Thank you, Morgan."

"You're welcome," the teenager mumbled without looking up.

Now would be the time to talk about the consequences of Morgan's birthright, but Lucina had a more important task before her. It was possible she would always be terrible at displays of affection, but she could only get better at it.

Reaching across the space between them, she drew Morgan into a hug. To her immense relief, the girl didn't resist and just bonelessly slummed against her. Once there, she seemed content to stay that way.


End file.
